Is the Broselow tape an accurate weight-estimation instrument and effective drug-dosing guide for pediatric emergencies?

BEEM Bottom Line

Why is this study important?

The Broselow tape was developed as both a length-based weight estimation tool and as a drug-dosing guide. The Broselow tape has been used for pediatric emergency healthcare worldwide to streamline the resuscitation of critically ill children by allowing physicians to quickly estimate how much a child weighs and choose the appropriate drug doses for resuscitation medications. However, the accuracy and overall applicability of the Broselow tape has been recently called into question, given both the increasing prevalence of pediatric obesity in developed countries and underweight children in developing countries. Many other formulas, including dual length- and habitus-based systems (e.g., PAWPER, Mercy) are being explored as potential replacements.[1][2] This review examines the relative effectiveness of the Broselow tape as both a weight estimation instrument and effective dosing guide in pediatric patients.

Which, if any, threats to validity are most likely to have an impact on the results and how?

Thank you for your interest in the BEEM Journal!

To read the rest of this article or to access the entire collection of BEEM Critical Appraisals, please purchase a subscription at the link below.

If you would like a pre-view, click here to view some sample articles

Premium Content Available Through Subscription

BEEM is a knowledge translation project which aims to extract the most recent, EM relevant, and valid evidence from the volumes of available medical research and deliver it to EM practitioners in an easily consumable format to help guide their clinical practice. This valuable distilled information provided by BEEM is available through BEEM's accredited CME courses or through our online journal.

A BEEM Journal Subscription will provide you with unlimited access to our entire collection of Critical Appraisals for 1 year.